Ontario Investing in New Poultry Research Centre

TORONTO— The Ontario government is investing $13.5 million in a new, poultry research centre in Elora. The Government of Ontario, the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO) and the province’s four poultry industry boards signed a Memorandum of Understanding to invest in the new Ontario Poultry Research Centre to advance research and drive innovation for the poultry sector.

“As part of the Grow Ontario Strategy, our government is focused on enhancing our research and innovation capabilities across the agri-food sector,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “This research centre will, once completed equip our poultry industry with the tools, and the knowledge to stay competitive, while creating jobs, growing the economy and ensuring supply chain security.”

Ontario-led agri-food research conducted at this facility will support animal welfare, reproduction, and nutrition, as well as meat quality and safety. Results will be shared with poultry farmers and the broader poultry business sector to encourage the adoption of innovative, safer, healthier, and more efficient animal and on-farm production practices.

Ontario’s poultry industry includes more than 1,200 chicken and turkey producers and 432 egg farmers across the province who will benefit from the cutting-edge research and innovative technologies that will be housed onsite. The new centre is expected to begin construction in 2024 and be completed by 2026.

By investing in the province’s research infrastructure, the government is prioritizing made-in-Ontario research and innovation that boosts productivity, helps businesses grow, creates jobs and strengthens the economy.

Quick Facts

  • The new poultry research centre is a partnership between the Government of Ontario through the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO) and the poultry sector’s four regulatory boards (Chicken Farmers of Ontario, Egg Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Broiler Hatching Egg and Chick Commission and the Turkey Farmers of Ontario) and the University of Guelph.
  • Ontario has more than 2,060 poultry and egg farms that produce and sell the most poultry across Canada. In 2021, Ontario accounted for 457.3 million kilograms of the chicken (including stewing hens), 68.3 million kilograms of turkey and 316.4 million dozen eggs produced in Ontario.
  • In 2021, Ontario’s poultry contributed roughly with $1.8 billion to the province’s economy.
  • The Ontario agri-food sector supports more than 750,000 jobs in Ontario and contributes more than $47.6 billion each year to the province’s economy.